It depends on the local laws.  My home is quite far from the supermarket, and I often go shopping with my dog, which takes about 40 minutes.  Since I don’t want to ride a bicycle anymore, I’m considering buying an electric scooter.  Electric bikes are prone to theft, while an electric scooter can be brought into the store.

In the UK, electric scooters are legally classified as electrically assisted pedal cycles.  This means they are treated as motor vehicles and are subject to the same legal framework as cars and motorcycles.

Key Regulations:

Privately owned electric scooters:
It is illegal to ride them on public roads and pavements.  You cannot purchase insurance, register them, or obtain a legal license plate for them.

Government-approved rental pilot programs:
This is currently the only legal way to use electric scooters on public roads.
Many cities in the UK (such as London, Birmingham, Manchester, etc.) have government-approved rental pilot programs.  These scooters:

Have a maximum speed limit of 15.5 mph (approximately 25 km/h).

Can only be used in designated areas.

Require riders to hold a valid car or motorcycle driver’s license (a provisional license is also acceptable) and be at least 16 years old.

Helmets are mandatory (although not legally required, rental terms typically enforce this).

Carrying passengers is prohibited.

Riding on pavements is not allowed.

Whether the British police will stop you for riding an electric scooter depends on whether you are in an urban area.  For short-distance rides in general, they typically will not.